Pipe-gripping device.



M. W. PALMORE.

PIPE GRIPPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I0. 1914.

Patented Mar. 7; 1916.

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MARTIN w. rem/roan, or rncos, TEXAS.

' PlPE-GRiPPING DEVICE.

Application filed October 1( 1914. Serial No. 866,179. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN W. PALMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pecos, in the county of Reeves and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Gripping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful pipe gripping device, and its object is to provide a gripping device to be used in conjunction with a well drilling outfit (usually of the rotary type) to grip and support the casing pipe of a well while a length of pipe is either being coupled on or uncoupled from said casing pipe.

The object more specifically stated is to provide a pipe gripping device having the nature of a pair of members loosely resting upon the circular table of a rotary well drilling outfit (or upon some other sultable support), the said members being. swlngingly connected, and being so formed that the downward gravitational, pull of the pipe draws said members into a powerful frictional engagement with the pipe.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, that will be strong, durable, efficient and simple and comparatively inexpensive to produce, also one in which the several parts will not be likely to get out of working order.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a fragmentary portion of the table of a well drilling outfit with my pipe gripping device resting thereupon and engaging a casing pipe passing through said table. Fig. 2 is a View of the same in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view upon the line w-m of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 denotes a well casing pipe which passes vertically through the central orifice 2 of a well drilling table 3. The pipe 1 is adapted to be gripped by two similar members 4, resting upon the table 3 at opposite sides of the pipe, the adjacent end faces of said members being serrated and recessedas indicated at 5, adapting said faces to better frictionally engage the pipe. The other end of each member -1 has a rounded bearing surface as indicated at 4? at said end (see Figs. 2 and 3). Each gripping member 4; is adapted to oscillate on the end 6 of a bail, the parallel sides 7 of which extend to points at each side of the pipe 1 the free ends of the parts 7 of the two bails being pivotally connected at said points as indicated at 8. It is to be observed that the ends 6 of the bails are passed through the gripping members 4, so as to be eccentric to the serrated faces 5 of said members and comparatively close to the rounded ends of said members, 7

so that it is possible by raising the parts 7 of the bails to angular relationship with each other to adjust the members to the positions shown in dash lines inFig. 2, in which positions they will leave the pipe 1 entirely free. It is to be further noted that the serrated end faces 5 of the gripping members are so curved convexly from top to bottom of said faces (see Fig. 3), that the space between the two said members will decrease as the members swing downward toward the table 3, so that the gripping members must take a tighter grip uponthe pipe in proportion to the downward pull that the pipe by its weight exerts upon them. WVhen the pipe 1 is being raised, it automatically disengages itself from the grip ping members, since its upward motion communicates an angular displacement to said members such as will break the grip taken by the serrated faces 5 upon the pipe.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as properly come within the scope of the following claim.

What I claim is In a pipe gripping device, two members each supported on a lower, rounded, free end and each provided with an upper serrated gripping face in combination with two bails each having an end member traversing a gripping member eccentric to the serrated gripping face of said member, and side members extending free of the sides of the gripping members and pivotally connected at a point between the gripping members,

the arrangement being such that When said name to this specification in the presence of balls are moved on their pivotal connections tWo subscrlblng Witnesses.

to horizontal position, the gripping members are rocked on their rounded free ends MARTIN PALMORE' 5 and their gripping faces are brought to p0- Witnesses:

sition to grip the pipe. J. RC ROLINE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my T. H. BEAUCHAMP.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Washington, D. G. 

